San Francisco voters have approved ballot measures that will require drug screening for welfare recipients and ease restrictions on police officers, according to Politico.
The city’s Democratic mayor London Breed risked her political future by backing conservative policies to address residents’ concerns about the fentanyl addiction crisis and out-of-control crime.
“Enough is enough. We need change,” Breed told supporters at a bar in the city’s Hayes Valley neighborhood.
Breed claimed victory Tuesday night when partial voter returns showed two of her initiatives had commanding leads.
“We want people to seek treatment and many people do, but the reality is others are not willing or able to do so,” Breed said.
“We are also sending a message that we are a city that offers help but not a city where you can just come and do whatever you want on our streets.”
San Francisco has long been considered the most progressive major city in America, according to Politico, so the approval of the measures signals a strong shift in voter’s perspectives.
Breed had little choice but to back the measures. She faces extremely low approval ratings and is being challenged by two moderates in the November election.
Yet the move is taking some by surprise. One observer asked, “Did a revolution take place in California that we were not told about? How is public support being garnered for common sense policies, amongst California voters?”
Did a revolution take place in California that we were not told about? How is public support being garnered for common sense policies, amongst California voters?
65 percent of San Fran voters approve new drug screening for Welfare recipients.https://t.co/KHqsW13R52
— Dmturk (@abledanm) March 6, 2024
Opponents of the proposals — which included progressive members of the Board of Supervisors — railed against the measure as being too far-right, reported Politico.
They called the measure “inhumane” claiming it would cause poor people with addiction problems to be ousted from public housing.
For her part, Breed said that people who are drug addicts will have to get treatment to receive cash assistance. This would make subsidies contingent on personal responsibility. She said the city cannot continue with a business-as-usual approach.
More than 800 people died last year of drug overdoses, according to Politico. The number, to put it mildly, is not sustainable.
Conservative values such as personal responsibility save lives. Democrats are beginning to acknowledge that fact.
